Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks secured their top ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
